The Cake Slice: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Recorded October 26, 2009 on "The Today Show"

The chosen cake for this month is from “Cake Keeper Cakes” by Lauren Chattman. This is our club’s first recipe from the cookbook and it was a great one at that. I love the smell of pumpkin. It’s the one fruit that really ties Halloween and Thanksgiving as a must have. Just last year, I whipped up 5 cakes for a fall wedding and it was pumpkin cake.


Here is my finished product. It's not an awesome picture (took w/ camera phone) but it is an awesome cake. The chocolate chips and walnuts worked well with the pumpkin in this cake. Along with the spices, it was very flavorful and moist not dry. I was afraid of overcooking it. It wasn't finished baking in an hour. It did take a little bit longer so always check. My work was pleased with the results and so will you.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

Makes one 9 by 5 inch loaf cake

1¾ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cloves
Pinch nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts


 Directions


Heat the oven to 350F. Coat the inside of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.


Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.


Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary.


With the mixer on medium low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin puree and vanilla. Stir in the milk.


Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.


Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour.


Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on a rack to cool completely.


Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic for up to 1 week.

Source:  Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman